It’s rare, but certainly not impossible… there are times when the sentiments of a Civil War ancestor are clearly expressed in letters, diaries, and other wartime documents. For the most part, however, I’d argue that we rarely know the reasons for which our Confederate ancestors were serving. That’s why I find it rather bold of someone when they say, for example, that their Confederate ancestor was fighting because of “Lincoln’s usurpation of the Constitution,” and so on… all of this based on nothing more than a service record (sometimes with fewer than five pages in the file). What evidence exists? How much of what one knows and expresses is fact-based and how much is opinion-based? Just because a person has the names and service records of some ancestors that served in gray does not necessarily mean that they enlisted for the things that “top-down analysis” of the Confederacy might suggest or even that they were ready to risk all to defend the Confederate “Cause.” How far were they really willing to go for “Cause?”
There are other factors that need to be considered, other evidence that might significantly water-down the stories… stories that might be more reflective of the zeal (for the “Cause”) of the persons telling the stories than the actual “zeal” of the Confederate soldiers “remembered.” Take another look… what is revealed in the service record that is not being identified? Consider, for example, the date of enlistment… does it fall before or after the three conscription acts? Does it happen to occur immediately prior to the enforcement of one of the three conscription acts? What about other members of the family or the immediate community? Ultimately, there is much to consider and these are but a few examples.
In upcoming posts (more than likely beginning in about a week or so), I’ll begin giving examples of what I’m writing about here, and in many cases I will cite examples of my own ancestors in gray.
Cenantua's Blog 
JosephineSouthern
June 14, 2009
I am interested in following your quest for understanding. I do perceive that a lot of them as Shelby Foote said: fought because “You Are Down Here”.
I do hope you don’t resort to bashing, fueling hatred and misconstruing …
***Remainder of comment deleted…
cenantua
June 15, 2009
JosephineSouthern,
You said, “I am interested in following your quest for understanding.”
If this is true, I hope I am able to share some thoughts that would prove of value. I welcome thoughtful comments in regard to this pursuit of mine. However, please refrain from the “bashing language” comments and so forth as they have no place in the pursuit of understanding whatsoever.
David Tatum Jr
June 14, 2009
A Kodak Moment / 1860s style
During the war for Southern Independence depending on which side of the mason Dixon line you lived, or which side you aligned yourself with you had differing views.
The status of the Battle Flag will remain exactly as it stands TODAY
Divided opinions, differing interpretations.
I have my opinion. It was formed by my great uncle W.H. Tatum
During the war he wrote home. I have transcripts of his letters that are in the Virginia Historical Society archives.
If our moderator will be kind enough I shall present a few lines from his letters home.
July 22nd 1861 At Bull Run Creek
“We have cause to thank our Heavenly Father for thus giving us the victory–
Many poor fellows have bitten the dust since yesterday morning & one of our men are worth 20 of Lincolns minions.”
July 29th 1861 Centerville VA.
“ I heard of one of our men whose company was behind the trenches, standing out when the enemy made a charge, his Captain told him to get behind the embankment. His reply was “ No sir, they come up to us far and squar and I am going to stand here far and squar” He did stand fare and square, and was not hurt !
Leesburg VA Nov 1st 1861
“ I understand that in case the enemy attacks again, Gen Evans has orders to retire.
This is a beautiful country and I would hate to see it in position of Lincoln’s hordes.”
Culpepper Court House VA Oct 9th 1862.
“The country looks like a commons from the battlefield to the court house.
The people all have the same tale to tell, they took whatever they could lay their hands on & not content with that they would break up costly furniture, tear down banisters, & kick the panels out of doors.”
The letters continue in the same fashion until Appomattox . But this is my personal reason !
I was never the target of hate or intimidation, and I won’t deny this happened in the past and is happening today. To those who see the Battle flag as a hate tool I understand. I ask for your understanding of what it means to me.
Respectfully Submitted
David Tatum Jr
cenantua
June 15, 2009
Mr. Tatum,
Let’s be clear. My post has nothing to do with the meaning behind the flag.
W.H. Tatum did have his views of the war and there were other Virginians who shared his zeal. On the other hand, there were also Virginians and others from points deeper in the South who shared a less zealous view, at many various levels… and those who outright opposed anything to do with the Confederacy. The point is to focus on Southerners who were in the ranks and that not all what one sees today explains so easily the reasons… all too often I have heard people speak with more zeal than that revealed in the interests of the actual ancestor/soldier. This is my focus in this post.
cenantua
June 15, 2009
Mr. Tatum,
Allow me to ask… is W.H. Tatum your only Confederate ancestor? For some reason, I don’t believe that he is. My ancestry is somewhere around what I might express as 85% Virginian, and I have eight direct Confederate ancestors, but I have reason to believe that they did not share in the same sentiment. Just an observation, but it sounds as if you align yourself with the perspective of one ancestor… or maybe a couple… but does this knowledge of W.H. Tatum’s sentiments reflect that in all of the others who are also your Confederate ancestors?
David Tatum Jr
June 15, 2009
No sir, William’s Brother John Calhoun Tatum also served with the Richmond Howitzers,
Dr. Henry Augustus Tatum, of Richmond, Virginia was a skilled surgeon, and he saved many wounded men from losing a limb. The Clopton Hospital was publicly complimented by the Confederate Congress for its small percentage of deaths in comparison with all the other hospitals. One day 1,268 men were accepted into the care of the staff.
William and John served together,March 7th 1864 John joined the Howitzers.
You asked / “but does this knowledge of W.H. Tatum’s sentiments reflect that in all of the others who are also your Confederate ancestors?”
Why would you feel otherwise ? John has some interesting post scripts in Williams letters. And nothing seems to separate their Ideology.
Respectfully Submitted
David Tatum Jr.
cenantua
June 15, 2009
Mr. Tatum,
You have more ancestors than just the Tatum line. As I said, I have eight direct Confederate ancestors (by direct bloodlines… Emerson, Mayes, Offenbacker, Hilliard, Nicholson, Davison, Nauman… the list grows significantly when I begin adding distant uncles and even more when I began branching into lines of 1st cousins). Seven of my direct bloodline ancestors were Virginians. It appears that some were devoted to their reasons for serving (whatever those reasons were, I cannot say with confidence as I do not have letters or extensive stories passed through the family lines); some were disaffected later on; some were unwilling participants to the point of resisting conscript patrols; and some ultimately ended up becoming Unionists (even to the point of joining the Union army), if they weren’t already. They were all Southerners. The fact of the matter is that the different men had a range of sentiments. You ask “Why would you feel otherwise.” Again, are you aware of all of your Confederate (lineal) ancestors and their sentiments? You cite the sentiments of a set of siblings… what about the rest of the families in the family tree (although, please understand, I’m not asking you to start giving us your family tree)? Are you to believe that the sentiment expressed by the Tatum line (and that line alone) dominates the landscape of your collective heritage? If so, what evidence do you have with each single situation? It sounds as if you are using no other lines but the Tatum line to justify your ideas about familial beliefs during the war.
You should know that I’m aware of the service of the Tatum’s in the Richmond Howitzers and the letters. I didn’t write the unit history, but wrote the history of 29 other Virginia batteries, thus my familiarity. Likewise, having written 29 unit histories, I’ve also scoured somewhere near
30,000(sorry, that should read “13,000”… or between 13K-15K) individual Confederate service records of Virginians. This is where I developed my base of understanding for the differences in sentiment… more understanding of the differences came later, which I will begin to explain in about a week.David Tatum Jr.
June 15, 2009
Cenantua.
William Henry Tatum enlisted April 19th 1861
He was a member of R.E. Lee camp Confederate Veterans.
Also a member of the Howitzer Association ( Treasurer )
Born in Henrico County 1838, Grand Son of Henry Tatum
Lieutenant 5th foot infantry Continental Army
Battles in which he served with honor, First Bull Run, Damn #1 Williamsburg, Seven Pines,
The seven Days Battle, Fredricksburg, Chancellorsville, Salem Church, United States Ford, Second and third days at Gettysburg, The wilderness, Spottsylvinia Court House, Second Cold Harbor,and along the lines from Howlett House Pettersburg and on to Appomattox
You Stated / “all too often I have heard people speak with more zeal than that revealed in the interests of the actual ancestor/soldier. This is my focus in this post.”
“When misunderstanding serves others as an advantage, one is helpless to make oneself understood.”
The Letters from W.H. Tatum speak for themselves. If by reading them you cannot conclude what was in his heart I cannot help you.
He was only one man, I can not tell you the reasons others fought.
Respectfully Submitted
David Tatum Jr.
cenantua
June 15, 2009
Mr. Tatum, Who said I didn’t understand the expressions of W.H. Tatum and what does the information about his being a grandson of Henry Tatum have to do with this? I can clearly read to see what he felt and didn’t dispute that.
As for the quote about misunderstanding, I’m not sure what you are suggesting. I’m quite aware of the differences in Southern sentiment at the time of the war and am very familiar with expressions made by some today that very much exaggerates the facts of their ancestors’ service. In many of these cases, people have built “memory” around an ancestor, but have nothing to show to prove that is what that ancestor felt. Such actions are no reflection of understanding anything.
David Tatum Jr
June 16, 2009
cenantua:
Allow me to clarify the Henry Tatum mention. He fought for Virginia !
As did W.H. Tatum and J.C. Tatum.
Yes ! I know I have many ancestors that do not have the Tatum name.
Without going deep into the family Forrest. Its pretty simple.
Nathanial Tatum arrived in Jamestown VA. In 1619.
Prospered and had children who married who had children who married and so on.
I have concentrated on the Tatum family. Because that is my area of interest.
I do however have information that Is a comprehensive list of marriages children, spouses and so on. Starting with Nathanial ! One of his sons married a niece of Pocahontas.
As I mentioned before I can not tell you what the reason for any given Individuals involvement in the war of Northern Aggression I can only tell you what I know.
I was attempting to add one piece to a complex puzzle, not speak for everyone involved.
Respectfully Submitted
David Tatum Jr.
cenantua
June 16, 2009
Mr. Tatum,
Some Virginians also thought that they were fighting for Virginia, but wore blue… a fine example is David Hunter Strother. He even expressed that he felt that his service as a Union soldier was in the best interest of Virginia. Some Virginians were passionate about their land and heritage that led back to the earliest days of Virginia’s history, but they had no interest in fighting for or supporting a Confederacy.
While the Tatum line may be of interest because it is your surname, are you concerned about what you might find in other family lines, that they might not work in unison with the sentiments of the Tatum line and those that you have “adopted” because of focusing on that line alone?
I’m not sure why you feel that it is necessary to cite links to Jamestown and Pocohontas. There were other Virginians with just as deep a heritage in Virginia who opted against the secession path. I can even cite Virginian-born folks who ended up in the mid-west before the war and opted to fight against the Confederacy. If you can only tell me what you know, I invite you to dig deeper and enjoy the wider dimensions of Southern heritage that might reveal an equally wider set of dimensions among your other Civil War era Southern ancestors. It’s not a mark of shame to find something contrary to passion for the Confederacy in ancestry, but a celebration of the diversity in Southern heritage.
When Confederate-passionate Southerners express concern or even criticize other Southerners who do not feel that same passion, sometimes they get the “how can you do that, he was your blood” speech. On the other hand, how is it that some Confederate-passionate Southerners find it convenient to “side” with their passionate Confederate ancestors, and not share an equal passion for all those who were not as passionate and even opposed the Confederacy? I’m not saying that you do this, but it’s out there. At what point does it become convenient to side with one set of ancestors and not another, especially over a “Cause” that existed over 150 years ago?
acwresearcher
June 14, 2009
I posed a question to someone on my blog the other day in response to the “not all Confederates fought for slavery” sentiment.
“What about white Southerners who willingly joined the
Confederate army at the outset and owned no slaves, then became
disinterested in fighting because of the ’20 Negro Law?’”
I often think some of those who ardently support the idea that Grandpa served “honorably” might be a little surprised.
cenantua
June 14, 2009
Greg,
The “20 Negro law” is an interesting topic for discussion. There is a lot to be considered when it comes to soldier enlistments and service. I’ve even found evidence of some rather interesting activity in pension applications, or more specifically, the efforts of some Confederate veterans in taking advantage of the pension boards.
JosephineSouthern
June 14, 2009
I didn’t think you would allow my post, just like levin only the ones that agree with you all can post to your blogs.
***Remainder of comment deleted as it has nothing to do with the post.
cenantua
June 15, 2009
JosephineSouthern,
First of all, both of your comments were routed to spam.
Second, I will warn you not to speak of Kevin Levin in the manner in which you do in comments here. Consider all future comments of the like blocked… period.
JosephineSouthern
June 16, 2009
***Comment blocked… I warned you… focus on the post. – Robert
Michael C. Hardy
June 15, 2009
Cenantua: this is a question which I am currently answering (or attempting to) for the men in the 58th North Carolina. No, they did not enlist because they supported North Carolina, or the Confederacy. No, they were not fighting to preserve state’s rights, or the institution of slavery. They enlisted because someone showed up with a piece of paper (and later a shotgun) saying they had to serve in the Confederate army.
Regards,
Michael
cenantua
June 15, 2009
Michael,
Thanks for the comment. I’m deeply interested in your efforts with the 58th. We should try and understand the various reasons behind how men came to be in the ranks. It is not always as simple as some make it out to be.
cenantua
June 16, 2009
Michael,
I’d be curious to hear your assessment of “They went into the fight cheering.” I haven’t read the book yet and have been meaning to buy it for some time.
Robert
Richard
June 16, 2009
I have to agree Micheal. There are all kinds of stories of people hiding out in the swamps of Eastern NC drying to dodge the army.
cenantua
June 16, 2009
I ran across a book this week about Georgians who also resisted service in the Confederate army. Hope to read and review it sometime this summer.
Richard Williams
June 15, 2009
I can’t speak for your Grandpa(s) Greg, but I know that one of mine was wounded twice and served time at Point Lookout. Another was wounded and then taken to infamous Camp Morton where he languished before being transferred to Chimborazo where he subsequently died. The family never knew what happened to him. His widow died hearing rumors he deserted, he ran off with another woman, etc, etc. It wasn’t until a few years ago when I wrote a piece for the Washington Times that we discovered he lies in an unmarked grave at Oakwood Cemetery in Richmond (which the City of Richmond continues to deny me the opportunity to properly mark his grave).
I consider their service honorable.
Kevin
June 16, 2009
Richard,
Thanks for issuing the warning to J.S. This is the same individual who threatened me over at the History News Network. And she wonders why I don’t allow her comments through. 🙂
Kevin
June 16, 2009
Damn! Robert, Robert, Robert…eventually I will get it.
cenantua
June 16, 2009
Clearly not a Richard, but Roger or 007 will work just fine… 🙂
Richard
June 16, 2009
Pensions and muster rolls dont say it but my direct ancestor fought for the Union because of the $CASH$. My grandfather knew his grandfather who had been in the Union Army in Eastern NC. He also said the Confederate officers treated their men badly. In going thru the 1860 Onslow Census it looks like all the officers and nco’s were slave holders.
cenantua
June 16, 2009
Richard,
I imagine some Southerners did like the money, others opted for service in the Union army because they had their fill of dealing with the conscript hunters (one of my third great granduncles being among that number), and others served because they actually had a passion for the idea of Union… there were all types.
Richard Phillips
June 17, 2009
There is one other concept that I find interesting for why men joined the Union Army in Eastern NC. In particular those that joined when the war started. Some belived in free labor, resented the slave holders and their wealth and believed Lincoln would remove Africans from the South. They had free labor meetings in places like Carteret County. I think a Dr. Collins of ECU had looked into some of this. Have tried to contact him but I think he is retired. The second wave of men to join look like they were trying to find a place to hide until the war was over. And then there were those who believed in preserving the Union. Interesting I have seen this in some men who joined the Confederate Army. Example, Gov. Daniel Russell of NC. His family was one of the largest slave owners in Onslow and New Hanover Counties, describes himself as a Whig, did not intially agree with secession but would join the Confederate Army, then become a Republican with black support.